State Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, ﻿is leader of the Texas Freedom Caucus. His goal is to have more conservative leadership in the House.

State Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, ﻿is leader of the Texas Freedom Caucus. His goal is to have more conservative leadership in the House.

Photo: Jay Janner, MBO

Conservatives see chance to get new speaker more like them

1 / 2

Back to Gallery

AUSTIN - Texas will not pick another House Speaker the way it elected Joe Straus, if a leading Republican lawmaker has his way.

State Rep. Matt Schaefer, a Tyler Republican who leads the Texas Freedom Caucus, said his group is nearing passing rules that will prevent a more moderate Republican candidate like Straus from ever becoming speaker on the back of Democratic support again.

"This is really a great opportunity for conservatives," Schaefer said.

In 2009, Straus won enough votes to become speaker by cobbling together votes from Democrats and Republicans. Under the new rules the Freedom Caucus has proposed, only the Republicans would have a vote in nominating a candidate for Speaker of the House, with no input from Democrats. Schaefer said the goal is to simply have more conservative leadership in the House that better reflects Texas voters.

"Overall, we are a Republican state and we are electing conservative legislators, but we haven't governed that way," Schaefer said.

Currently there are 95 Republicans and 55 Democrats in the 150-member House.

On Wednesday, Straus announced he would not seek a record-setting sixth term as Texas House Speaker. The San Antonio Republican has gained a reputation as a pro-business Republican who blocked more socially conservative proposals like the so-called bathroom bill and more restrictive abortion legislation.

'I'm too shocked'

Though a month ago he publicly stated he intended to run again, Straus said on Wednesday in interviews that the constant challenges to his speakership and the threats of primary opponents had become "pretty repetitive." Straus said he's convinced he could have defeated his critics again but wants to explore new opportunities. He did not specify what those would be or if he intended to run for political office again in the future.

"Instead of acting on behalf of the entire House, I will now have a greater opportunity to express my own views and priorities," Straus said in an email to supporters announcing his decision on Wednesday.

His announcement was immediately met with celebrations from the most socially conservative Republicans and dread by more moderate Republicans.

"Victory!!!!!," state Rep. Jonathan Strickland, a conservative Republican from Tarrant County declared on Twitter within moments of Straus' announcement. Strickland is part of the same Texas Freedom Caucus that has been trying to engineer rule changes to block Straus from winning another term with Democratic help.

For more moderate members like Rep. Sarah Davis, a Republican from Houston who chairs the House General Investigating and Ethics Committee, Straus' announcement was tough to process.

Translator

To read this article in one of Houston's most-spoken languages, click on the button below.

"I'm too shocked to have any thoughts," Davis said in a text message to the Houston Chronicle.

If Schaefer and his group get their way, candidates for speaker would have more pressure to appeal to conservative Republicans to win the speaker post, something that hasn't been needed before in Texas.

'Wide-open race'

The current system is unusual compared to how other states choose presiding officers, University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus said. Most other states pick their presiding officers among their caucuses before submitting them for a chamberwide vote.

Schaefer said there is a study committee preparing to present a report to the rest of the Republicans in the Texas House. Once that happens, he said that will position House caucus members to vote on the new rule changes.

"I think it's going to happen, but I don't want to speculate when," Schaefer said about the rule change.

Within hours, Straus ally Rep. John Zerwas, a Richmond Republican, announced he is running for speaker. Also running is Rep. Phil King, a Republican from Weatherford. More candidates are expected to join the competition in which Schaefer described as a "wide-open race."